Method and apparatus for packaging drinking straws



H. E. DAVIS ETAL Nov. 11, 1969 A METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PACKAGING DRINKING STRAWS Filed Nov. 22, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTY Nov. 11, 1969 H, AVI Er AL 3,477,191

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PACKAGING DRINKING STRAWS Filed Nov. 22, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I lm FIG.4

United States Patent M 3,477,191 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PACKAGING DRINKING STRAWS Harry E. Davis, 544 Vinita Ave. 44320, and Fred B. Pfeilfer, 270 Ferndale Ave. 44304, both of Akron, Ohio Filed Nov. 22, 1966, Ser. No. 601,283 Int. Cl. B65!) 9/06, 19/34, 61/00 U.S. CI. 53-14 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An example of a drinking straw-making machine, referred to above, is disclosed in our allowed copending patent application Ser. No. 363,178, for Method and Apparatus for Making Drinking Straws, filed Apr. 28, 1964, said application now matured as U.S. Patent No. 329,009, and the present invention will be described with reference to and includes that machine.

The apparatus of the present invention receives the straws from the above-referred to machine and the actuating mechanism of the severing means, of the said straw-making machine, becomes the driving means of the apparatus of the present invention, whereby the operation of the making and wrapping of the straw are coordinated in a continuous operation.

The commercial field of drinking straws is highly I competitive costwise and generally the industrys efforts to reduce cost has been directed to increasing the rapidity of straw production. Sanitary laws require straws to be wrapped and wrapping has been a substantial element tional manual labor and exposes the straws to contamination by contact with the person of workmen and extended unwrapped exposure.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for'wrapping drinking straws so combined with drinking straw manufacturing means that the straws are continuously projected directly from said means into wrapping apparatus where the straws are wrapped without interruption of their forward movement.

Another object of the invention is to make and wrap drinking straws more economically than has been done by the prior art.

Another object of the invention is to provide means adapted to print desired information on a strip of strawwrapping material as the strip advances toward a wrapping station and to provide means adapted to locate the printing on a packaged straw centrally intermediatethe ends of the package. p

A further object of present invention is to provide a driven printing roll adapted to advance a wrapping strip from a supply roll by means of intermittent contact of the type, on the printing roll, with said strip, and to provide means for intermittently freeing the strip from contact with the printing roll and permittingthe strip to 3,477,191 Patented Nov. 11, 1969 respond to a subsequent uninterrupted strip driving means.

Yet another object of the invention is to progressively form the preprinted strip into channel shape and to deliver straws thereinto with the ends of the straws spaced a short distance and to provide means adapted to progressively fold the strip about the straws and to seal the edges of the strip together longitudinally of the straws as the latter enter means adapted to seal the strip between the' ends of the straws and to sever the end seal in the middle thereof.

A still further object of the invention is to provide resilient means adapted to momentarily clamp the leading end of the severed wrap and lead it into the bite of sealing rolls.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent to those familiar with the art and from the following description and by reference to the drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of apparatus embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a package containing a drinking straw as it appears when wrapped by the method and apparatus of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view illustrating specific elements of the apparatus involved in the wrapping of a straw and showing the relative positions of the wrapper, straw and said elements as the straw and wrapper enter a wrapper severing station;

FIG. 4 is similar to FIG. 3 and shows the relative positions of the elements shown in P16. 3 but at the moment the wrapper is severed between the straws;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary elevational view, partially in section, of a knurling roll, gear for driving the knurling roll and pressure-adjusting means, shown in FIG. 3, and package severing and holding means;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken on line 66 of FIG.

FIG. 7 is an elevational view taken on line 7--7 of FIG. 1, and

FIG. 8 is a side elevational view of the printing means shown in FIG. 1.

Referring now to the drawings in detail:

The apparatus referred to generally as 10, FIG. 1, includes a front elevational view of apparatus shown in applicants said copending application to which application reference is had and particularly page 11, lines 5- 25, for a detailed description of the method and apparatus to which said copending application relates. It is believed that a repetition of all the description of the copending application is unnecessary in the present application for an understanding of the present invention.

By reference to FIG. 1 of the present application it will be seen that angle members 15-16 (shown in FIG. 5, said copending application) have been extended lengthwise, to support elements, of the present application, combined with certain elements of the copending application matured as U.S. Patent 3,291,009. Angles 15- 16 are supported on a frame 11, only one end of which is shown.

A supply roll 12 of a flat strip 18 of paper, or of other suitable material, is mounted on idler shaft 13, supported onan arm 14 welded to an angle 17 which in turn is attached to angles 15-16.

Initially strip 18 is manually led between printing rolls 19-20. Roll 19 is driven and may be referred to as a type roll and roll 20 as a pressure roll. Type 21, on roll 19 extends only partially around the circumference thereof. Strip 1-8 is pressed against the type as the strip passes between the printing rolls, however it is an important feature of the present invention that rolls 19 and 20 are so supported that during the interval the type is in contact with strip 18 the latter is being drawn off the supply roll and fed forward to subsequent and ultimate strip driving rolls. It is to be understood that during the interval the type is not in contact with the paper, strip 18 is not being drawn forward by rolls 19 and 20 and comes, in its forward travel, completely under the influence of said ultimate strip-driving rolls, the latters drive being uninterrupted. The contribution of these features to the art will be manifest from a later summary of the operation of the apparatus.

Strip 18 travels over idler roll 22 into a strip former 23 where it is progressively formed into channel shape as shown in FIG. 1. Former 23 has a cover 74 including a narrow portion 75 which projects into the formed channel and is adapted to direct a straw therein against the bottom of the channel-shaped strip. Strip 18 passes from the former into the bite of driven knurled rolls 24-25.

Roll 24 is provided with strip gripping means, referred to generically as 26, comprising a bar 27 slidably disposed in a slot 28 and mounted at its inner end on a resilient member 29 preferably composed of rubber. In its inoperative position bar 27 extends a short distance beyond the periphery of rotating roll 24 and is adapted to contact strip 18 and clamp the strip against rotating roll 24 and to feed the so clamped portion to the bite of said knurled rolls. This, too, is an important feature of the invention as will be explained in connection with the description of strip-severing means described below.

The circumferential surfaces of rolls 24 and 25 have knurled surfaces 30 and 31, respectively, and are adapted to knurl and seal the longitudinal edges of the formed strip 18 while progressively propelling the strip forward.

Rolls 24-25 in addition to knurled portions 30-31 (sec FIGS. 4 and have axially extending knurled circumferential portions 32-33 that are relatively short circumferentially compared to the total circumference of rolls 24 and 25. Rolls 24-25 are synchronously driven by means of gears 34-35 respectively. Knurled portions 32-33 are adapted to seal, by knurling, strip 18 between the ends of straws therein as the straws pass between the knurled rolls. Rolls 24-25 are resiliently maintained in operative contact by U-bolt 80, springs 81 and nuts 82.

Means for severing the sealed portion between the ends of the straws comprise knives 36 and 37 mounted in slots in rolls 24 and 25, respectively, these knives being mounted in shearing relation as shown in FIG. 4.

Means for actuating the elements referred to hereinbefore comprise a driven sprocket 38 rotatably mounted on shaft 85 and fixedly attached to pulley 88, the latter being driven by belt 89, as will be understood by reference to said copending application matured as US. Patent 3,291,009. Sprocket 38 drives sprocket 39 by means of chain 40, which engages a chain tightening sprocket 41. Sprocket 41 is mounted on a shaft 42 that is fastened to an angular bracket 43, the latter being rotatably mounted in a support 44.

Sprocket 39, of the preceding paragraph, is mounted in shaft 45 which in turn is mounted on an angular bearing 46. A bevel gear 47 is mounted on the shaft 45 and engages a bevel gear 48 on shaft 49 which is mounted in said bearing 46 by means of hinge pin 51. Roll 25 and gear 35 are adjustably mounted on shaft 49 by means of a nut 52 and clamping nut 53.

Knurled roll 24 and gear 34 are on shaft 54 mounted in hinged bearing 50 by means of shoulder nut 55 and clamping nut 56. Bearing 50 is attached to bearing 46 by means of hinge pin 51.

Type roll 19 is driven by a double sprocket 57 and chain 58 which chain is driven by sprocket 59 the latter being rotatably adjustable on shaft 45 by means of nuts 76 and 77. Tightening means for chain 58 is shown mounted on support 44. By reference to FIGS. 1 and 8 it will be seen that an idler sprocket 62, the pressure roll 20, type roll 19 and an ink roll 61 are mounted on shafts 63, 64, 65,

and 66 respectively which in turn are mounted in bearings 67, 68, 69, and 70, respectively. These last mentioned four bearings are mounted on threaded bars 71 and 72 by means of suitable nuts shown but not identified. Rods 71- 72 are mounted on a support 73 attached to frame 11.

OPERATION Preparatory to actuating apparatus referred to generically as 10 an operator adjusts the mechanism so that straws of desired length are severed from an advancing continuous tube and are projected into the channel of shaped strip 18 as shown in FIG. 1. As explained in detail in said copending application matured as US. Patent 3,291,009, knives 87 rotate at high velocity during the severing of the continuous tube so that a straw severed from said tube is projected beyond the end of the next oncoming straw.

As strip 18 enters the bite of rolls 24-25 from the strip former 23 the channel-shaped strip is formed into a narrow wedge shape, the walls of which function to locate the straw in the channel section of the strip a desired distance from the strip severing means, namely, knives 36-37 when the latter are in operative position.

As strip 18 leaves former 23 the strips edges converge into the bite of knurled surfaces 30-31 of rolls 24-25, respectively. This results in the converged edges being progressively knurled and sealed together as the strip passes between rolls 24-25. At each revolution of rolls 24-25 their axially extending circumferential portions 32-33 respectively function to knurl and seal strip 18 between the ends of the straws. Knives 36 and 37 are so disposed on rolls 24-25, respectively, that they come into shearing contact with the center of the sealed portion of strip 18 between the ends of the straws. Since the end seal is severed at the point the knurled circumferences of rolls 24-25 make a line contact those surfaces would normally lose contact with the ends of strip 18 and the oncoming end of the strip would fail to enter the bite of surfaces 30-31 resulting in a pile-up of the strip at that station. The solution of that problem, by the present invention, is the resiliently mounted bar 27 which operates as follows:

Just prior to the severing of strip 18 bar 27 contacts the strip at said end sealed portion and grips that portion between bar 27 and the knurled surface 33 of roll 25. Since bar 27 and knurled surface 33 rotate with rolls 24-25 respectively and bar 27 projects beyond the circumference of roll 24 it will be seen that due to its resilient mounting it will continue a pressing contact with strip 18, as the rolls 24-25 rotate, for a sufficient distance of these rolls travel to feed the otherwise loose end of the strip into the bite of knurled circumferences of rolls 24-25. It was also discovered that the gripping of the strip closely adjacent the point of cutting definitely promoted a cleaner cut.

The invention provides means for printing information on the wrapper intermediate the ends of a wrapped straw and its operation is as follows:

Initially when the strip 18 is moving through the printing means, the former and the severing station the location of the printing on the severed wrap is observed and if adjustment is necessary to locate the printing properly such adjustment is made by loosening clamping nut 76 and rotating type roll 19 to such position as will locate the printing as desired.

By reference to FIG. 1 it will be seen that the printing elements include an ink container 78, ink roll 61 and a squeeze roll 79, the functions of which are well known to those familiar with printing and accordingly their operation will not be described.

As has been stated heretofore strip 18 is drawn from a supply roll by driven type roll 19 and pressure roll 20 and it is now to be understood that the forward travel of the strip during its contact with type 21 is faster than the travel of the strip as it passes between driven knurled rolls 24-25. This is due to a slight difl erence of the circumstances of rolls 24-25 and the type on roll 19. This results in an excess length of strip between printing rolls and the knurled rolls and thereby avoids the strip becoming taut and breaking.

Also, as has been indicated, pressure roll intermittently loses contact with the type 21 on roll 19 during the rotation of roll 19 and during the rotation of roll 19 and during the loss of said contact strip 18 is driven solely by knurled rolls 24-25 thereby eliminating, at each cycle of completeing a wrapped straw, the accumulated slack in the strip, whereby the correct location of the printing on the finished package is accomplished.

From the foregoing it will be evident that we have provided novel method steps and apparatus for uninterrupted production and packaging of drinking straws. Obviously the invention is susceptible of numerous modifications and the right is herein reserved to make such changes as fall within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is also obvious that other methods of making drinking straws, from that herein used as an example, could employ the present method and apparatus without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

We claim:

1. In the method of continuously making and packaging drinking straws in a single strip of wrapping material, the combined steps of:

(a) continuously advancing the strip to a wrapping station,

(b) progressively changing the strip from a fiat to a channel-shaped strip,

(c) progressively converging the edges of the channelshaped strip into contact with each other as the strip enters the wrapping station,

((1) continuously presenting successive straws into the channel of said strip with the straws separated a short longitudinal distance,

(e) progressively sealing the converged edges of the strip together about the straws thereby progressively forming the strip into tubular shape,

(f) sealing the walls of the tubular shaped strip between the ends of the straws,

(g) severing the strip through the sealed portion between the ends of the straws thereby progressively completing the packaging of the straws,

(h) intermittently printing markings on the advancing strip so that the printed matter will be exposed on each package intermediate its ends,

(i) wherein the first step of advancing the strip occurs intermittently at the printing station and an ultimate step of advancing the strip occurs uninterruptedly at the wrapping station.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the step of advancing the strip at the printing station is interrupted at each cycle of printing and during the interruption the strip is free of driven contact with the printing rolls, and wherein the strip is advanced, during the types contact therewith, at a faster rate than it travels through the wrapping station, whereby any longitudinal tension or slack in the strip between the printing rolls and wrapping station is eliminated during each said interruption.

3. Packaging apparatus comprising:

(a) the combination with a drinking straw making machine which machine is adapted to sever drinking straws from a continuously advancing tubular body and successively eject straws severed therefrom lengthwise in longitudinally spaced relation on a strip of wrapping material,

(b) means for supporting a supply roll of said wrapping material, said wrapping material on the supply roll being in the form of a flat strip,

(c) means comprising a driven type roll and a pressing roll and two driven synchronized rolls adapted to progressively advance the strip to a wrapping and a severing station,

(d) strip forming means adapted to convert said strip into channel-shape as it approaches the severing station,

(e) said strip, in channel shape, being so disposed in its course to the wrapping station, relative to said strawmaking machine, that the said ejected straws are deposited lengthwise in the channel of the strip,

(f) means for progressively sealing the strip longitudinally and transversely about the individual straws, and to convert a short length of the channel-shaped strip into wedge shape, and

(g) means to sever the strip through the transverse seal to form a series of individually packaged straws.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the type roll is provided with type over only a portion of its circumferential surface and the pressure roll and type roll are so mounted that there is driving contact on the strip there between only over that portion on which type is located whereby during each rotation of the type roll there is an interval of no driving contact with the strip during which interval the strip is continuously drawn forward by said synchronized rolls.

5. Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein one of said synchronized rolls includes a radially extending resiliently mounted arm that is adapted to grip the formed strip against the circumferential surface of the other synchronized roll closely adjacent knives mounted in shearing relation on the synchronized rolls, whereby, after the strip is severed, the oncoming loose end of the strip is retained in frictional contact with the surface of said other roll until the loose end enters into the bite of the synchronized rolls.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 565,479 8/1896 Maclay et a1. 53131 2,280,405 4/ 1942 Frostad 53-28 2,919,990 1/1960 Podlesak et al 53-180 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,022,961 3 1966 Great Britain.

THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner E. F. DESMOND, Assistant Examiner U.S. c1. X.R. 53-28, 131,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,477,191 November 11, 1969 Harry E. Davis et a1.

It is certified that error appears in the above identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 1, line 29, "329,009" should read 3,291,009

Signed and sealed this 15th day of September 1970.

(SEAL) Attest:

Edward M. Fletcher, Jr.

Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents WILLIAM E. SCHUYLER, JR. 

